1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids and to the novel .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids produced by this process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The simplest of the .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids, namely .alpha.-chlorophenylacetic acid, has long been known. The method most currently used for preparing it consists of reacting thionyl chloride with ethyl mandelate, which reaction is followed by transesterification by acetic acid of the ester obtained (Organic Synthesis IV p. 169-172). By a similar process a certain number of .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids substituted on the nucleus, such as .alpha.-chloro(methyl-4) phenylacetic acid and .alpha.-chlorobiphenylacetic acid, have been prepared.
Another process for the preparation of .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids consists of reacting ethylchloroethoxyacetate with an aromatic compound. This method is particularly interesting when the aromatic compound is a phenol ether (R. QUELET and J. GAVARRET--Bull.Soc.Chim. 1950 p. 1075-8).
The drawback of these two methods is that they necessitate the prior preparation of an intermediate compound which is not currently available commercially: an .alpha.-hydroxyarylacetic compound for the first, ethylchloroethyoxyacetate for the second, and that they are relatively complicated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids which overcomes these drawbacks.
It is another object to provide .alpha.-chloroarylacetic acids which are novel.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description which follows.